Automotive truck body flexible closure



l'Sept 30,7195? J. DELLAPENT i12-,512,221

VAUTOMOTIVE TRUCK BODY FLEXIBLE CLOSURE ATTO R N EY5 SepLBOg-ISSZ .J. DELLAPEN-r AUTOMOTIVE TRUCK BODY FLEXIBLE CLOSURE "Filledlday 13, 1949 Patented Sept. 30, 1952,

AUroMoTivn YTRUCK -opx stampa CLOSUR Joseph .1)ellape11t',v Westwood, N. J. Application May v13, 1949, ,'SerlalNo. 935098 1 This invention relates to automotive truck` bodies and more particularly to a removable closure s claims. (o1. iso- 328) for an opening in such a body. The invention is of special utility in automobile trucks for` closing the opening atthe rear end of the truck body to guard against loss of the contents of the body.

Automobile truck bodies have commonly been provided with a closure forr an opening at the rear end thereof in the 'form of hinged doors `or lazy-tong barriers. Such closures,A at the time when they are installed, are effective to guard the contents'of the truck body, but, under the hard vusage incident to frequent loading and `unloading, they become loose or worn to the extent of vbeing -insuiliciently effective, and moreover,

such closures are expensive, both when installed incident tobullding thetruck body or when installed as a separate operation thereafter, particularly the latter.

The object of the present `invention isto provide a novel form of closable barrier at theend of an automobile truck body which shall be entirely effective for the attainment of 'its purpose,

which shall be less expensive to construct than the forms of closures heretofore employed, and

which may be installed readily in `a truck under n construction and in existing truck bodies.

These objects are attainedv by making the barrier of chain, preferably vertical lengths 'and horizontal lengths of chain which are' appropriately secured togetherV Where they cross., the vertical lengths being suspended from and movable upon a suitable support extending across the top of the opening in the truck body and the horizontal lengths of chain being secured permanently to one of the sidewalls of the opening in the truck' body and detachablyto the other side Wall. The

suspending meanspreferably takes the form of a rod extending across the opening in the truck body near the top thereof and linksv at the upper ends of the vertical lengths of chain encircle and are slidable upon this rod. The'horizontal lengths of chain are secured at one endto one' side wall of the opening and their opposite endsare secured toa rail by which the barrierl may be moved conveniently-across the opening and ymeans are provided for locking this rail in the closed position with the horizontal lengths of chain extended their full length.

This locking means may takeyarious forms., preferably a form in which provision is made for drawing the barrier fairly taut and holding it in that position.v In the preferred construction, the suspending-rod referred to is 'provided with a cam surface and the upper end of the rail at `the edge of the lbarrier 'encircles this'rod and is arranged to drop over the Acam as the rail reaches its final closed position. "Tn association with these parts, a llocking means is provided' for -solocking the rail --to the sidewall ofthe opening 'that it cannot 'be raised *to effect release from the Vcani or'A be moved laterally away freni the side Wall of the opening.

The invention will be better understood V.by

reference to the following description in connec tion withthe accompanying drawings'which show preferred embodiments. In these'drawings; Fig.

1 is a view in elevation showing the 'barrier in closed position; Fig. i2 -isan enlarged detail view of a form of locking 'means which may be employed; Fig. 3 is a'detail 'view "illustrating the mounting of the barrier; Fig. 4' is a detail View yshowing how the horizontal and the vertical 'chains are secured together;'Fig`. 5 is a sectional elevation showing the locking means on a larger scale; Figs. 6 and '7 .are views corresponding to Fig. 5 illustrating a :modifled iorm of locking means; andfFig. 8 is a sectional elevation of the construction shown inEigs. 6 and rl7, the plane of the section being at `i'ig'lit angles to that of Figs. 6 and 7.

My improved barrier is applicable to automotive bodies generallyorA-closing an opening therein but is of particular utility as a closure for the rear end of an automobile truck body. It consists primarily of vertical chains 9 and horizontal chains Ill secured together at their crossings, the barrier as :a Whole being suspended from a support Il extending across the opening in the truck body near the top thereof. This support I I is preferably a .round rod or tube .and thetop link .of each ci the vertical chains -9 is preferably circularso that these links may slide readily back and for-th lengthwise of the supporting rod II.

Thevhorizontal chains I0 are secured at one end thereof to a side wall of the opening in the truck body. For this purpose an angle iron I2 is `securedto the side wall and` has openings in one flange thereof at spacedV points and the end links of the horizontal chains extend through these openings. Y

y The. vertical and horizontal chains may be secured together at their crossings in any suitable manner' but I prefer to do this Vas is illustrated in Fig. 4 in which it will be seen that links I3 and I4 of the vertical and horizontal chains lie l oFFIcs-.f I

angle iron rail like rail I2 but is movable across the opening in the truck body. The upper end of this rail I6 is provided with an opening through which the rod II extends, the rod forming a support from which the rail I6 is suspended. On the upper surface of the rod II ofthe plate 32. The bolt 28 is provided with a'hande 33.

near the end thereof is a cam I'I and the upper end of rail I6 will travel up this cam as the rail is moved to the closing position-fand drop over the end of the cam as shown in" Fig. 1 when the rail reaches the closing position.

Means are provided for locking the rail I5 in its closed position and preferably. this includesy .f

means for holding the rail I 6` against vertical, movement which would lift its upper end over the wall of cam I1 and also against horizontal move-" ment of the rail as a whole orits lower-end only, f; f

away from the side wall I8 of the opening in thev of cam downwardly by its handle 33, projecting its end throughthe opening in the horizontal wall of vplate 32, whereupon the wedge surface at the end of bolt 28 forces the rail I6 over toward the vfside wall of the opening in the truck body to the kfinal closing position. In this position the vbolt may be locked by a padlock 2l) inserted in thefappropriate one of several openings in the truck body. For this purpose an eye-bolt IIB may be provided upon the side wall I8 of the truck body as shown in Figs. l1.and'5 and an opening may be providedA in the flangeof rail I6 suchv that Yon movement. of the rail I6 to its closing position the opening willI passover the eye of the bolt I9 and a padlock .2B maybe hookedinto the eye of bolt `I9 to holds-the Arail I6 against movement either upwardly or laterally.

Figs. 1, 2 and 5 illustrate another jform of locking means which may be employed. with orfinsubstitution for thatdescribed, this alternative form having the advantage that it does not employ, any partwhich, likeA thebolt I9, projects into the opening in the truck body where it may be bent or broken in' the ,operation of moving cargo into or out of the truck body. This construction illustrated in Figs.'2 and 5 includes a hook ;2I"adapted to cooperate with a bolty 22 mounted securely in ,an opening in the side wall I8 ofi the truck body.l This 'hook 2I is manipulated by a handle 23V mounted be.- tween plates 24 which are secured .tothe lrail I6. On the handle 23 is a stud 25.,.traveling -in a groove 26 in one or both of the plates 24, this groove being straight throughoutla'major portion of its length and turned angularly on a curve at one end. The arrangement is such flangeof rail I5.

I claim;

l. In a flexible yclosure structure ,forv closing an opening in a body deiined by top, bottom that when the free end of the handle 23 is v moved laterally the opposite end turns inrfthe space between thewall of the rail I6 andastud 27 on plates 24 and the resultant vtravel of'the stud in the groove .26 causes the end .of hook ZI to be moved vertically intov coaction with the bolt 22. Thereafter the hook 2lA is moved laterally relativelyto the plates 2li 'and rail I6, thus drawingfthe rail I6 overclose to the side wall- I8 and drawing the chaniairly taut. The plates 2li arejprovided Vwith' a5 series of openings and a padlock 20 may be interlinked with any one ofthese openings to holdlthe handle v23 against unauthorized movements vto effect release of the barrier.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8v illustrate anotheriorm `of locking means which may be employed. ln'this construction the rail I6 has a' bolt 26 mounted upon it for vertical sliding movement in one or more guides 29. The lower end of this bolt is wedge-shape as shownl and passes '.,th'rough a plate 36 on the lower kend -of rail ,I6 .which plate has its end 3l Yinclined to provide a cam surface. The lower end of the bolt28 is adapted to enter an opening in a plate` 32 mounted upon the iioor of the truck body and one end of this plate is turned upwardly as shown andvprovided with an opening toy receive the inclined end 3I Vand sidewalls, including a nexibleclosure securedV to one side wall of said/.opening and means for locking the flexible closure in closed position across said opening, a support-extending across the topv of the opening adjacent to the top wall of the opening and onwhichthe flexible closurev is supported` for movement lengthwise ofthe support, a railsecured togA elements or the flexible closure opposite.saidsidewall and suspended by its upper end from and `in ovable along said support, said locking means comprising a cam on the upper portiongof vthe 'support adjacent to and spaced ,-from the, opposite side wall of the opening and having an'abrupt vertical surface facing said opposite `side vwall cooperating with the upper end. ofmthe rail above thesupport to hold it in closed. position'when the rail is moved 'toa *positionl adjacent the opposite` side wall of theopening,Y said locking means also including a movablewed'ging member mounted on the lower .portion ofthe rail cooperating with a member` xed to said` body adn jacent said oppositeside wall andmovable to draw the lower portion of the rail toward said opposite side wall, andgmeans mounted on the lower portion of the rail cooperating with a member fixed to said body and movable -upon movement `of the rail toward said opposite side wail for drawing the rail downwardly, therebyy preventing disengagement of the upper end of the rail.

2.-In a iiexible closure structurefor closing an opening in a body dened by top, bottom and side walls,lincluding a flexible closure-the iiexible elements of which are secured to one side 4wall of said opening and means'for locking the flexible closure in closed vposition acrpss said opening, a support extending across vthe topoi theopening adjacent to the top wall of theopeningandby which the iiexible closureis supported for movement lengthwise of the` support, and a `rail secured to elements of the` flexible closure opposite said side wall and suspended-by its upper end from and movable along said support, the upper endof the rail having an y.opening therethrough through which the support extends,l said locking means comprising a Carnon the upper portion of the support adjacent to and spaced from theopposite side wall of the opening, -said cam having an abrupt vertical surfaoespacedffrom and facing said opposite side walland-eoopjerating with thev upper end of the rail above the .support to hold it in closed position, the rail being movable upwardly to permit movement of its upper end over said cam and into a position between the vertical surface of the cam and the opposite side wall of the opening in the body, said locking means also including means for drawing the lower portion of the rail toward said opposite side wall and for applying a downward tension on said rail, whereby the upper end of said rail is prevented from disengaging the abrupt vertical surface of said cam.

3. An automotive truck body having an opening at one end thereof defined by top, bottom and side walls, a barrier for the opening comprising a plurality of vertical lengths of chain and a plurality of horizontal lengths of chain extending across the opening and secured to the vertical lengths, means securing the horizontal lengths of chain at one end thereof to one side wall of the opening in the truck body. a support extending across the top of the opening adjacent tothe top wall thereof, means for mounting the upper ends of the vertical chains on the support permitting movement thereof lengthwise of the support, an upright rail in said opening suspended from and movable along said support, the ends of the horizontal chains opposite those secured to said side wall being attached to said rail, a. cam on the upper portion of the support adjacent the other side wall of the opening cooperating with the rail when the rail and chains are moved to closed position, said cam having a surface sloping gradually upwardly toward said other side wall and having an abrupt vertical surface facingand spaced from said other side wall, said rail having an opening at its upper end through which said support extends, said opening in the rail being large enough to freely accommodate said support and to permit vertical movement of the rail REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,635,601 Benca July 12, 1927 1,920,416 Melaun Aug. 1, 1933 2,088,072 Tobin July 27, 1937 

